Pudong Airport Shanghai, China

This monstrous international terminal is….brusque!

Upon landing in Shanghai one is greeted by this massive wedge shaped beast that juts out into the atmosphere of Chinese airspace. There is really nothing elegant about this structure. The concept is based on high tension wires that are stressed like a hunting bow by these rather odd looking suspension pins reminiscent of the clothes pins used to hang laundry out to dry. (Which by the way is a very common Chinese phenomena, see photo at bottom)


This theme is repeated again and again on the interior of the roof overhead . There are intermittent pillars that anchor more high tension wires that connect the floor of the terminal to the roof. These turnbuckles contrast the curves of the “bow” ceiling and do nothing to add beauty or visual appeal to a space that is supposed to be welcoming and calming to weary travelers.

Must of Shanghai’s architecture is build to last. I will give one comment that is positive. The sense of scale is truly large in Shanghai. Big roads, big subway station hallways, big trains and big factories. Big, big, big.